N Korea verbally attacks US

2004-05-12 13:08

Seoul - North Korea's official media accused the United States on Wednesday of planning to launch a war as working-level talks opened in Beijing to end the 19-month old nuclear standoff.

Rodong Sinmun, mouthpiece of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, urged South Korea to join with the North in opposing what it said were US plans for war on the peninsula.

"A touch-and-go tension in the true sense of the word is persisting in Korea due to the US imperialists' reckless moves to start a war against the DPRK (North Korea) under the pretext of the nuclear issue" the report said.

"Unavoidable is the confrontation between the Koreans in the north and the south, who are advancing along the road of peace and peaceful reunification, and the US, which is working to block it".

The report, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), came as a working group meeting opened in Beijing bringing together delegates from the Koreas, China, Japan, the United States and Russia.

North Korea has long sought to drive a wedge between South Korea and the United States, who have been allies since they fought off an invasion by the communist North during the 1950-53 Korean war.

"It is a false propaganda to claim that the US is a 'friendly country' and an 'ally' of South Korea" the report said.

"In fact, the US has brought disgrace, humiliation and disaster to South Korea".

North Korea has so far been frustrated in its efforts to win South Korean support for its demand for concessions from the United States in return for a nuclear freeze.

The working level talks in Beijing were supposed to pave the way for full-scale six way talks before the end of June.

Differences remain wide between Washington, and Pyongyang, however, and a breakthrough is unlikely in the deadlock that has lasted since Washington accused North Korea of running a clandestine nuclear weapons program 19 months ago.

Pyongyang has offered to freeze its nuclear facilities only if Washington provides economic aid and a non-aggression pledge. Washington wants the nuclear schemes scrapped as a first step. Two rounds of six-party talks have failed to narrow the differences.

- AFP